The Black Fox
by GoldLine
Summary: Thrust into the dark side of the world of Alices after a certain incident, Kitsumi Kai is dubbed 'Black Fox', and is partnered off with Natsume to run dangerous secret missions for Alice Academy. If a black cat has 9 lives, then how many does a black fox have? Because it'll need every one it can get.
1. Chapter 1

"Why can't you play such an easy piece properly!?" My mother's hysterical sobs resounded around the room, haunting my ears. My father just stood in the corner, disappointment plain in his blue eyes.

"Are you listening to me? You're a _genius. _So why can't you play this? Do you want to bring shame to us?" Her cries were now unbearable.

"No, mother," was my conditioned response.

"Take a break. Practise again once you've cooled your head," my father finally spoke up, but here was no warmth in his voice, though. Just cold calculation and expectation.

"Yes, Father." I traipsed to my room, closing the door careful not to make a sound. I felt rising anger in my chest as I considered his words. '_After you've cooled your head,' _he had said. I didn't need to cool _my _head. My mother did.

I was hailed a child prodigy at a young age by those around me, and my parents tried to keep up the appearances. I was never allowed to have freedom. When I saw children play from my window, I would be practising musical instruments and doing paperwork the whole day.

It was when I was 8, I realised I truly wouldn't have any freedom; I was bound by the chains that came along with the labels '_genius'_ and '_child prodigy'._

"I'm so _sick _of this!" I heard my mother yell from downstairs, snapping me out of my thoughts. Curiosity piqued, I opened the door a crack to hear clearly. But little did I know that this would be the act that would cause my world to crumble.

"Why can't he do _anything _correctly? I'm sick of having to put up with this! I treated him like the genius he is, but all he gave us was despair! We should have never had him!" I heard her yell to Father.

"Calm down! What if the neighbours hear us? Our reputation would plummet," he hissed to Mother.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I didn't choose to be different. I wanted to play in the mud like all the other children my age. I felt my anger rise once again.

_You should have never had him!' _Those were the words that clung to my mind the most, like barbs I couldn't get rid of. Clenching my hand into fists, I let my rage consume me. I didn't want to bottle it up anymore. I let my anger take form and do whatever it wanted.

"Does he even appreciate what we do for him? That ungrateful-"her words were cut off with a gurgle. She screamed.

Something was wrong. Mother's screams sounded like it was muffled by water.

Flinging open my door, I raced downstairs, were my parents were. To my shock, I saw two bubbles of water, one enclosing their heads each, cutting of their air supply. To my right, my mother was clawing wildly at the water encasing her head, leaving nasty gashes where nails came in contact with skin. To my left, my father had his eyes closed, resignation set in his face.

A good one and a half minutes had passed, and I knew they weren't going to last much longer. _Is this my fault? Was this caused by me?_ Out of the corner of my eye I caught Father's lips move.

"I'm sorry." Reading the movements of his lips, I made out the words.

'I wasn't able to fulfil the role of a father to you.'

Each word he shaped seemed to require a great amount of effort, but he kept going.

"Whatever happens, I don't blame you."

My lips began to tremble with every word I made out.

'I love you, my son.'

"...I love you, too...dad." I answered, my eyes burning with the effort of keeping tears at bay.

His eyes widened and I caught a glimpse of a smile appear on his lips before the last lights of life disappeared from his eyes. Hot tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I watched my dad's last moments.

I turned to my mother, who was still thrashing wildly, her face torn and a bloody mess. Her eyes bulged, giving me a furious look before she screamed something incoherent. Finally, her body went limp.

Any remaining anger I had at that point was turned to grief as I finally processed what had happened; my parents were no longer in this world. As if following my emotions, the water around their heads lost their formation and poured on the floor, like a cruel mockery of blood.

I finally realised that this was entirely my fault. _I did this to them. I killed my parents. _I didn't know how I did it, but I had managed to murder them.

_You killed them, you murderer, _my mind taunted me. I couldn't take anymore.

_Let the water wash it away. Let it wash everything away. _

As if heeding my command, torrents of water came crashing into the house, conjured from thin air. Within seconds, the house was flooded up to the roof, and that was the last thing I saw before my vision turned black.

My sleep was plagued by endless nightmares, each progressively worse than the one before it, but one thing was always the same.

_"__Murderer."_

I bolted upright, my sweat matted black hair plastered to my face. Brushing it aside, I examined my surroundings. I was in a room grander than I had ever seen before. Where the heck was I?

Click.

The door unlocked and a man walked in. I surveyed his appearance with distaste; he kept his blonde locks long and wore a fair amount of jewellery.

My muscles tensed. If he showed any signs of hostility I was ready to incapacitate him and make a break for the door. However, no such intention came from this mystery man and I relaxed. "Who are you?"

He flashed a smile. "Me? Call me 'Narumi-sensei'."

I grimaced. "Like hell I will."

"Now, now. Don't be like that. I'm guessing that you want to know where you are and why you're here?"

"Enlighten me." I flopped back onto the sofa and listened to him talk.

"You're in Gakuen Alice; an institute for those who are born with Alices."

"Hmm. Tell me something I don't already know."

This 'Narumi' person arched an eyebrow. "Oh, you're a hard one to satisfy, aren't you? Your Alice is water. You can manipulate and conjure water at will," he explained.

"I already know; that's obvious," I replied curtly, disregarding all forms of manners my parents had taught me. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with someone so cheerful at this time.

"Oh, really? Tell me how you found out." Narumi-sensei looked genuinely surprised, and that ticked me off.

"Most people would realize after murdering their parents with water. Don't take me for an idiot."

He looked at me with an amused smile. "Are you sure you should be telling me this?"

This teacher really was trying to test my patience, wasn't he? "Why not? After all, the fact I'm here in this…institute and not in juvenile prison explains everything. You guys probably covered everything up by writing this off as a freak accident didn't you? After all, I'm sure the government didn't want to deal with anything 'beyond the scope of ordinary'. In short, anything regarding Alices is covered up by your organization, with permission from the government, and that is exactly why I'm here at this very moment. Why ask questions when you already know the answer to them? Oh, wait—I already know the answer to that."

"Everything you said is true. That makes thing easier then. I'm sure I don't need to explain anything further. Everything else you'll need to know about how the school works will be explained by your classmates. But first, put on that uniform." He gestured to the uniform draped over the back of a chair.

I pick it up and promptly begin to undress, but I stop when I see Narumi stare at me strangely. "What do you want now?"

"I'm just shocked to see you undressing so openly in front of me."

The sides of my mouth twitch. "We're both male and I want to get out these clothes from yesterday as soon as possible," I state and resume putting on the uniform.

After I'm done, he resumes his talk. "Make the most of these two months we're giving you to settle in. I really don't want to say this, but you'll never get the normal life of a student here. You'll need to live your life working for this place.

"Any shot I could have had at a normal life was gone by the time I was born, and I'm sure working for this institute couldn't be worse than what has already happened," I retorted.

Sympathy was clear on his face as he looked at me. "Well, let me show you to your class then." With that, he ushered me out of the room and steered me into the hallways and corridors of Gakuen Alice.

Pandemonium. That was the only word that could be used to describe the state of class B, elementary division. Pure pandemonium. Random objects whirled around the room, as if freed from the constraints of gravity. Children were levitating around the classroom, and strange...things were chasing girls around the room. Every few seconds or so, explosions would set off around the room, blowing books into the air.

An unidentified object strayed from its path of orbit and hit Narumi square in the face.

_Ouch. _

This was not going to go down well with him. One thing I learnt about the man through conversations with him, if you could even call them that, was that he really prized his looks.

My suspicions proved to be correct as he plastered on a smile and walked into the classroom. A timid looking teacher ran up to him and stared whispering. Narumi nodded every once in a while as he listened to the other man talk. Once they had finished, he walked up to the front of the class, catching everybody's attention. Then he spoke.

"Feel free to continue if you wish to experience my Alice. Oh, and whoever hit me in the face just then, please come out to the front."

The entire class shut up, and one lone person made his walk of shame up to the front of the class.

I winced at what happened next. Narumi had swept the poor guy into his embrace-and kissed him. Almost immediately, his victim had fainted.

I made a mental note to keep well away from Narumi unless absolutely necessary; I truly didn't want to even expose myself to the chance of becoming a victim of his pheromones. He was a truly dangerous pervert.

Having accomplished what he set off to do, Narumi exited the class room, leaving the flustered teacher to fend for himself.

I decided to save him the trouble and introduce myself. "Kitsumi Kai, 10 years old." The teacher looked even more confused at my lack of courtesy, but chose not to comment on it. Instead he just directed me to my seat. "Your seat is over there, next to Natsume..." He pointed at the desk and I headed over and sat down next to a raven haired male student with his feet propped up on the table, looking disinterested by the whole business.

Once again, class B was turned into a lawless zone, and I was attacked by a barrage of questions.

"What's your Alice?" A voice piped up from my left.

"It's none of your business."

"Oh, but it is," a girl with black, permed hair spoke up. "This school is only for Alices, isn't that right, Natsume?"

To my right, Natsume only flipped a page of his manga in response, and I snicker.

"Looks like Natsume doesn't care so much, huh? Anyway, the fact that I have an Alice is the only thing you need to know." I throw my words at her rudely and the girl with the permed hair frowns.

"Tell me what his Alice is," she commands the boy next to her.

"I can't read his mind," he admits to her, and I'm not surprised. I like to make sure my thoughts are well guarded, especially in situations like this.

"Let's end this useless chatter already. New student, tell us what kind of Alice you have." Natsume stood up and finally decides to speak.

I felt annoyed; I didn't take kindly to being ordered around. "Take one step closer and you'll find out," I threatened.

Disregarding my words, Natsume took a step closer to me and I lashed out, sending fast, powerful bursts of water at him. They hit their target, and my raven haired enemy is now drenched from head to toe. He retaliates, firing off orbs of fire towards me, which I extinguished by raising a wall of water.

We were only a minute into the fight when a voice rang into the air.

"What are you two doing?"

_Oh crap. Narumi. _Natsume and I immediately stopped and slid back into our seats as the pervert teacher headed over to our desks, shaking his head.

"Really, I leave you two alone awhile and you start fighting," he began. "Well, luckily for you two, as you get along so well, you'll be partners for the rest of the year." He beamed, as if he thought he was a genius for coming up with such an idea. I thought he was touched in the head, and judging from the look on Natsume's face, he agreed with me as well.

"I refuse to be partnered up with the likes of him," I objected.

"I couldn't have said it better."

"It's already decided. Natsume, show Kai-kun the ropes, will you?" Narumi then turned to me. "You'll be rooming with Natsume until you get your star rank, okay? Any problems?"

"Whatever. It's not like we can change your mind. I have one problem though. Don't stick a 'kun' at the end of my name; it sounds disgusting coming from your mouth," I said bitterly.

"Haha, sorry, Kai. You'll get your star rank in two months' time, so you'll need put up with Natsume for a while." That having been said, Narumi spun on his heel, heading back out of the classroom, once again abandoning the timid teacher who was clinging to him.

His optimism really was endless, wasn't it? Nothing seemed to upset him. That irritated me slightly. I wasn't really good at dealing with his type.

Placing my thoughts aside, I focused on the problem at hand. I had to spend two months with Natsume, and the only time we could get away from each other would be mealtimes. It didn't take a genius to figure out that I didn't like him, and it also didn't take one to figure out that he held the same feelings towards me.


	2. Chapter 2

I wanted nothing more than to sleep at this moment. I had already learnt the topic currently being taught, so I allowed myself to catch up on some well needed rest. Feeling my head droop and my mind cloud, I made no attempt to stay awake.

"New student, sleeping will not be tolerated in class." Jinno's harsh voice snapped across the silent room from his position at the front of the class, near the chalkboard. I groaned and sat up and began to pay attention, although not before throwing a glare at the back of the teacher's head. _Man, give me a break._ Honestly, I was still in a daze from the fast turn of events; all of a sudden, I no longer had parents, and was thrown into this foreign environment. _Is this what school is like? _I mused, slightly amused at the change of atmosphere in class with the change of teachers.

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.

.

The chime of a bell signified the end of class, and the hideous chorus of chair legs scraping against the floor began, cruelly abusing my eardrums, pulling me out of my reverie. Somehow, time had flown while I was absorbed in my thoughts, and I didn't quite mind. Math was boring; after all, it followed a predictable set of rules and patterns, and never strayed from logic. Comforting in its stability, but boring nonetheless.

"Kisumi-san…" A sweet, gentle voice spoke from the doorway, and I turned to look. I recognized the pink haired girl who spoke as Umenomiya Anna from my class. I presumed the girl who stood with her was her friend.

"Yes?"

"We didn't get a chance to say this earlier, but welcome to Class B, Kisumi-san," she said, and her friend nodded in agreement.

"It's fine, I prefer being just called Kai."

"Ah, I'm Umenomiya Anna, but you can just call me Anna," she introduced herself to me, the gestured at her friend. "This is my friend, Ogasawara Nonoko."

"Nice to meet you, Kai-kun," Nonoko piped up from behind her friend, and I smiled at both of them, although partly out of ingrained politeness.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," I said, giving a slight bow before heading over to the cafeteria which was already half-filled by the time I arrived. I spotted Natsume next to Ruka and headed over to where they sat.

"Yo, Natsume…whoa. Your dinner's huge." I was surprised at the huge variety and wide assortment of food on his table compared to Perm-head, who I passed on my way here, and Ruka's. I guessed that dinner portions were based on star rank, but before I could voice my conjecture, Perm-head slipped in between the raven haired boy and me. She seemed to be able to whiff out anything involving Natsume and Ruka, and within seconds, come running over.

"Of course Natsume's dinner is larger! He's the only special star in the Elementary Branch. Isn't that right, Nastume?" She said while batting her eyelashes, trying to suck up to Natsume, but he only ignored her. Hm, this could get interesting. Let's mess with her.

"Oi, Natsume, share with me; I don't have any dinner. You're my partner, aren't you?" I demanded, while watching Perm-Head from my peripheral view.

As expected, Sumire reacted with outrage. "Why should Natsume have to give his food to the likes of you?" She asked furiously, as if I had forced her to give me food.

"Perm-Head, go away, or else I'll blast you with cold water."

"Wha! Who are you calling Perm-Head?" She yowled indignantly, visibly offended at the nickname I gave her. "A-anyway, you better not cause any trouble for Natsume and Ruka!"

I carelessly flicked my hand. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sure they can protect themselves, so shoo," I commanded, preparing to shoot blasts of cold water at her if she didn't leave.

"I get it already; I'll leave!" She shot one last glare at me before stalking away to join her table.

Natsume watched the whole ordeal with a slight twitch tugging at the corner of his lips, and Ruka was trying to conceal his smile by burying his face in the rabbit's fur. I slid out the seat next to Natsume and positioned myself in it, and with a quick sweep, I swiped his silverware. "Don't get too relaxed. I still need dinner," I said, skewering a piece of beef on Natsume's plate.

"I can share my food with him," Ruka suggested, nudging him, and Natsume's face softened.

"It's not like I need that much food. I'm already full."

So he has a soft side after all, but he tries to hide it. I thought, and set down the fork that was in my hand.

"Where are you going?" Ruka's voice made me look back just as I got out of my seat.

"Why does it matter?"

"You haven't eaten anything yet," he said, pointing at the untouched morsel which I had picked up earlier. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I don't have much of an appetite right now," I answered over my shoulder, before leaving the cafeteria and navigating the winding corridors and staircases to reach Natsume's room.

"Damn." I cursed once I realised the key to open his room wasn't in my possession. I had forgotten to ask for them before I left. I debated whether to head back to the cafeteria or not, but eventually decided against it. Natsume would be returning to his room shortly, so there was no need to chase him down. With a sigh, I sank back against the cold door, and with my earlier fatigue catching up, I decided to catch a nap.

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.

"Oi. Wake up already. You're blocking the way." A hard object prodded into my side repeatedly, waking me up.

"Ungh. Who is it?" I rubbed my eyes, trying to focus on the figure in front of me. "What, It's just you," I said, my mind still weighed down with sleep.

"Who wakes up other people with their shoe, you bastard?" I yelled once I had regained full consciousness and my sense of emotion returned, more than slightly peeved at the manner in which I was woken up.

"I do. Now move," The raven haired youth ordered, unapologetic about his prior action. Once he realised I wouldn't move on command, he added, "Do really want to sleep out here?"

"Point made." I stood to get up, but collapsed as soon as I managed to stand, falling to the floor. Natsume just looked at me impatiently, and I felt my cheeks heat up from shame. "Give me a minute. I'm still suffering from the aftereffects of sleeping on the floor." I forced my explanation out, turning my face to the side, refusing to look him in the face.

"That's what you get for sleeping on the floor. Don't expect any sympathy from me."

"I wasn't," I snapped back, turning to look him in the face, only to find a hand stuck in front of my face.

"Are you going to get up or not?" He asked shortly, annoyed at my lack of reaction.

I grasped his hand, and using it as leverage, pulled myself up.

"Thanks, I guess."

"You're still in the way," he blandly stated, and I stepped to the side to let him open the door without any argument this time.

Once we were inside, I marvelled at the expanse of his living space. It was simply furnished with no excess pieces furniture and it gave off a clean vibe. But somehow, I felt that the atmosphere felt slightly cold. Shrugging off the feeling, I padded across the room to join Natsume. "This is pretty nice," I commented, and he shrugged. "I'm taking a shower first."

"Go ahead," I replied, sinking into a plush chair next to the window. Natsume shrugged and headed into the bathroom, the tell-tale click of the lock resounding throughout the room seconds later.

I stared out of the window and at the bright lights punctuating the darkness far away from where the academy stood. Only now did the fact that I probably could never leave this place dawn upon me. I must've been reported as dead with my parents in that house. Any trace of my existence was probably wiped, I thought. There were too many questions out there, and it hurt my head to think of them. "Does the entity known as 'Kisumi Kai' still exist? Or was it destroyed with my past life?" I whispered to myself, not expecting anyone to hear.

"What are you going on about?" Natsume had somehow managed to stand next to me without my knowledge, startling me. "Don't you plan to unpack?" He asked, realising there were no new additions to his room.

"I didn't bring anything with me," I answered. More like I couldn't bring anything, I mentally added. "I'm washing now," I informed him, heading to his bathroom. Once I stepped in, I immediately began undressing then stepped into the spacious shower. When the warm spray was soothing, making me relax. There was no point in thinking about it now. I was still me. Despite the comfort, I was out in minutes, and getting dressed. At this point in time I probably wouldn't be eating anything, so I hunted for a spare toothbrush, hoping to brush my teeth, and finding an unopened pack in one of the drawers.

Once I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw Natsume resting on the bed, ear buds in ears, listening to his iPod. That was when I realised there was only one bed, and I sure as hell wasn't going to spend a night on the sofa or floor. I silently moved across the room, toward the supine figure on the bedding. Creeping up to him, I yanked his ear buds out of his ears, startling him. He growled out in frustration and I only ignored it. "Do you only have one bed?"

"Does it look like I have another one?" He propped himself up on his elbows, facing me.

"Who knows? Your living space is huge, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was even another room," I countered, refusing to concede defeat. "Well, if that's the case, I'm taking your bed."

"Tch." He clicked his tongue in response. "You do realise this is my room?"

"Yeah, and so? Don't expect me to give up the bed because of that. If you want it, you'll have to sleep next to me." I hoped that was enough to put him off taking the bed, but he wasn't about to give up so easily.

"I will."

"What?" I flinched, not expecting that. "Fine. If you feel uncomfortable, feel free to sleep on the floor."

"That is if you don't chicken out first," he promptly returned and turned around, signifying the end our argument over sleeping arrangements. Deciding that I didn't want to share a blanket, I turned toward his closet and started rifling through them in search of an extra one, being sure to restore the contents to their original positions after I had went through them. I managed to find a closet full of quilts after a while of searching. Taking one out, I flung it at my partner, the quilt landing directly over his head. A hand reached out from under the quilt, pulling it off, revealing a very pissed looking Natsume.

"That one's yours," I said, trying to repress laughter at his expression. He shot me a glare before lying down and pulling it over him, presumably to sleep. After I flicked off the lights, I joined him on the bed and did the same. Now the only thing that could be heard was silence, with the occasional sound of light breathing that came from next to me. Feeling uncomfortable, I rolled over, hitting a lump in the process.

"Move over, you're hitting me." The lump, which I realised was Natsume, spoke.

"You're taking all the space; I can't help it," I hissed back, moving away from him.

"I hope you don't have any weird sleeping habits…"He muttered, before shifting to the side slightly, giving me some extra room.

"That was unexpected. You actually moved."

"Just so you would shut up."

"Hmph." I aimed a kick at him, which unfortunately didn't have much force due to the cushioning of the quilts. I vaguely heard him snicker from the side before it was all silent again.

The silence unnerved me. It allowed dark memories to surface without the meaningless, trivial arguments which I hated to admit I enjoyed. Only slightly. The soft, periodic breathing next to me indicated that Natsume was now asleep. With that, I fell into my own uneasy sleep.

* * *

**A.N. **So how as it?

Since i'm trying to improve my writing, reviews on my work would be greatly appreciated.

**XxLady ClassicismxX**, your review means so much to me, and I was grinning like an idiot when reading it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Get off me." Something underneath me moved, but I pay no heed to it. I disregarded it as a result of my erratic sleeping last night; I must be hallucinating. "Get off me," It repeated. _Yep, I think I'm hearing things._ "Get the hell off me!"

I hissed in pain as a well-placed kick connected with my calf. My eyes started to water, blurring my vision. I rolled to the side, trying to get away from whatever had tried to attack me. Crimson eyes peered down at me without even a slight indication of concern.

"You're crying? Did even it hurt that much?"

"Would you like to try getting kicked?" I made out the words through gritted teeth. The pain had faded slightly, allowing me to get off the bed.

"Pass," he said nonchalantly, making his way over the bathroom. "You're going to be late if you stay on the floor."

"Whose fault is that, exactly?"

"Don't try to pin the blame on me. You were the one who slept on me."

"So you decided to kick me? That hard?" I asked incredulously.

"It got the job done. You woke up."

Turning away from Natsume and his insufferable attitude, I grabbed my school uniform and started to dress. There was no point in arguing back-and-forth with him anymore. I entered the bathroom just as my roommate came out.

We were both done soon, and just as we left the raven haired youth's room, a figure came whizzing past us on a scooter. "That was Imai-san, wasn't it?" I asked, directing my question at nobody in particular. I had just managed to make out her purple eyes and short black hair before she left my line of sight.

"Natsume…and Kai." Ruka made his way over once he saw us. Together, we made our way to classes. I noted that whenever the blonde was around, Natsume and I tend to have fewer arguments. I guess it was just that the he had a soothing effect on both of us.

By the time we reached the class, all the students had already settled into their seats. We were late, and Narumi didn't seem too pleased, but he let us off all the same.

Narumi walked up to me just as the class ended. "Kai-kun, how are you settling in?"

"I told you not to call me that, didn't I?"

"Sorry, sorry, my bad, Kissu-mi-kun."

"_That's disgusting_," I spat out, revolted at the play on my last name. "Why haven't you been arrested yet?"

"You're so cold. Just answer my question, Kai."

I tried to ignore the snickers that came from behind my back, courtesy of Natsume and his gang. "There are a few problems."

"Go ahead." He motioned for me to continue.

"To start, I'm short on clothes." Since I only had two sets in my possession, I thought I'd mention it to Narumi.

"You'll be able to go to Central Town few weeks. You can get clothes there. For now, you can wear Natsume's."

"Where will I get the money to purchase all these?"

"Get him to split his allowance with you?" The pheromone Alice user suggested.

"I refuse to be so reliant on him. Don't make him compensate for your lack of organization," I said sharply, piqued at having to be so dependent on my crimson eyed enemy.

"Your arrival wasn't exactly expected though…" The blonde teacher mumbled and I ignored it.

Really, this conversation was going nowhere and I wanted to end it soon. "I think I'll manage."

"Are you sure you don't want to tell this sensei more?"

"Go die, pervert." My words came out more scathing than I intended; I hoped the teacher wouldn't be too hurt.

"Ahaha." His face was still one of his usual cheerfulness, "If you need any help, and don't hesitate to tell me, okay? Your stubbornness will lead you into trouble."

"There's no need for your concern."

"Just one more thing before I go…your eye colour, which parent did you inherit them from?"

I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. Why was he asking me this? "My Father, I guess? Why?"

"It's just that…I remember that a teacher at this academy had the exact shade of blue as you. God knows where he is now, though…" He trailed off, sounding solemn, and I felt my interest grow, but I knew better than to press the point. Perhaps I would find out what all this was about one day.

"Kai…be careful, alright?" Narumi gently ruffled my hair before leaving. The act felt warm, and the minute his hand left my head the familiar coldness replaced it.

_...that damn Pheromone Alice bastard better not be using it on me._

Jinno-sensei's class was boring as usual. Natsume and Ruka were inconspicuously sharing ear buds, and Perm-Head and her gang—Natsume and Ruka's fan club—were lying low. Most of the class had their heads buried in their books, studying like they were supposed to. My eyes quickly scanned to room for Hotaru Imai's figure. She was seated at one of the back tables, assembling something deftly.

"New student, you have the audacity not to listen in my class?"

_Ugh, it's Jinno. Again. _"I am listening."

"Then answer the question on the board."

"You already wrote the solution to it…" The answer was on the board, written only a minute ago.

"_Ahem_." He coughed slightly and turned back to continue teaching.

Needless to say, the math teacher didn't bother me for the rest of the lesson.

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.

.

"Natsume isn't with you?" I had managed to catch Ruka in the cafeteria on our lunch break. Seeing him without his crimson eyed friend was a rare sight. I don't think I've ever seen them part in the daylight hours.

"He had something to do," He replied carefully, not letting any additional information slip.

"I see. We haven't talked much before, have we?"

"I guess not."

"What type of person is Natsume?" My curiosity finally got the better of me, and I decided to ask.

Ruka shifted uncomfortably where he stood, "He's misunderstood."

"That's because he's so ill-tempered, isn't it?" I suggested. The blonde youth seemed to take offense on behalf of his friend.

"You don't understand him! He's been through a lot. The academy forces him to—"

"Ruka!" Natsume's voice warned.

"When did you get here?" I asked, having not noticed his arrival at all.

"I'm sorry. I said too much…" Ruka directed a mumbled apology to his friend.

"Hah… What's done is done. There's nothing we can do about it now. Ruka, wait for me in the classroom. I want to talk to Kai in private."

"What do you want with me?" I enquired just as I was sure Ruka had left.

"What did you say to him?" My partner's voice was kept low and controlled, but threatening.

"Nothing much." Apparently my noncommittal answer wasn't going to satisfy him.

"Did you force him to tell you anything?"

"No." _Well, I'm not exactly lying._

"If I find out that you used Ruka to gain information about me, I won't hesitate to seriously injure you."

"Don't flatter yourself. I don't hold so much interest in you as to use Ruka."

"So you'd use him for other reasons?"

"It'd be pretty annoying to piss you off while I'll living with you, so no."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch, I can't deal with you."

"That makes the two of us," I shot back, and his lips quirked into a half-smirk.

The tension in the air was now gone, the resumption of movement in the cafeteria proving it-Somewhere along the way students had stopped to listen in.

"I think we should head back; it's almost time for our next class." Natsume was the type of person to skip class, so I didn't expect him to take my advice.

"Mph."

"What? You're actually coming?" "Or just can't leave Ruka alone?" My tone was teasing, and It obviously didn't go down well with the fire Alice user.

"Shut up," he snapped back, making me grin.

"Heh."

The rest of today's classes and dinner passed without a hitch, and I was glad to be able to return to my—to be exact, it was Natsume's—room. One thing I liked about his living space was the bathroom. It was large and had options other than to shower. I opted for a bath today, wanting to just soak in a tub of warm water.

I raided his bathroom for bath additives and found a strawberry scented bubble bath mixture. I quickly poked my head through the doorway to make a remark. "Strawberry scented? Niiice."

This made Natsume look up from his manga.

"Just take your bath already." His voice gave no indication that he was even slightly fazed at my remark on his choice of bath scents. "Hurry up. I want to take a shower."

"I'm using the bath, so the shower's free," I informed him.

"You're telling me to wash in the same room as you?"

"What's the big deal? It saves time."

"Whatever." He got up to go wash without any further form of protest.

I soaked in the sweet smelling water with delight. It's been a long time since I had last taken a bath. On the opposite end of the room, the sound of running water had a lulling effect. I slept terribly last night and the effects have just started to kick in. Combined with the scent and warmth of the water, I started to nod off, my body catching up on the sleep I lost last night. I dozed for what felt like under a minute before I was woken up.

"Don't sleep in the bath, idiot."

"Mmm," Was my sleepy reply.

"I'll burn you if you don't wake up."

"Alright! I'm up, I'm up." I wasn't exactly eager at the prospect of getting set alight, so I quickly got out of the tub, being sure to throw a glare at the figure getting dressed. "Have any spare clothes? I need to borrow them." The fact that I didn't have any clothes slipped had my mind.

"Get your own clothes."

"Sure, if you want me sleeping naked on the same bed as you for a few weeks," I retorted.

"Tch."

I knew I had won.

.

.

.

Rummaging through his closet, Natsume threw me a plain black shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Have a pair of_ unworn_ underwear?" As much as I didn't want to ask him, the idea of wearing the same pair until I could purchase another didn't sound appealing.

"Just wear the one you had on today."

"For more than a _week_ straight?"

"Go ask that pheromone bastard for some tomorrow."

"I will _not_ ask that pervert of a teacher for spare underwear."

The smugness in his voice was all too clear at this point as it drifted to the bathroom where I was. "Then you'll just have to deal, won't you?"

Although he couldn't see me from his place I the bedroom, I glared. _Don't think you've won, Natsume._

.

.

.

"You look ridiculous."

"Glad to know you're being observant."

Natsume's shirt was huge. Although it was probably designed to be loose, I was pretty sure it was not meant to be slipping off my shoulder, forcing me to readjust it every few minutes. I had to constantly tug at the waistband of his shorts to ensure that it stayed _up_.

"I always thought that you looked pretty short, but I never knew you were that _tiny_."

"Don't get ahead of yourself; you're not that much taller me."

Natsume held up his right hand and stretched his thumb and middle finger apart the furthest they could go. "If you think _this _is what you call 'not much taller', I've given up all hope."

As expected, he knew exactly what to say to vex me, and as much as I knew not to fall for it, my pride wouldn't allow the snide remark to just pass.

"_Well,"_ I spat out with as much venom as I could possible muster, "if you'll _excuse _me for saying so, but not every one of us can be tall."

Natsume only shrugged in response, arrogant look on his face all too knowing. "Someone's got a height complex."

"You…! Ugh…"

I seriously contemplated pouring freezing water straight onto him to wipe the expression right off his face, but then I'd get the bed wet, and that'd be inconvenient for me.

_Oh, if you think I'll take this lying down, you've got another thing coming. Natsume, you'd better watch out._

"What's with the creepy grin?" I looked up to see him staring at me, evidently wondering about what I was plotting, especially since I hadn't moved to make any sarcastic backchat.

"I wonder."

.

.

.

Both of us were settled in bed after completing our nighttime routines. I yawned. It wouldn't do any good to stay up too late. "Goodnight, asshole." I mumbled just before I fell asleep, not really intending for him to hear.

"Yeah, whatever. Go sleep." I heard him whisper back just before I was out. I heard him turn to face me. Or maybe that part was just a dream. Either way, at that point, I was too tired to care.

* * *

**_A.N. _**As I'm trying to improve my writing, some feedback would be greatly appreciated.

**XxLady ClassicismxX**, so how did I do in your challenge?


	4. Chapter 4

_Beep. Beep._

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that Natsume was not next to me, and it was a strange feeling, really. No sarcastic voice to wake up to just felt out of place. _Did he leave without me?_

I reached over and placed my hand on my roommate's side of the bed. The sheets were cold to the touch, signifying that he had gotten out of bed quite a while ago. _Where the heck did he go? _Deciding not to mull over it too much, I quickly fixed my appearance in the mirror and threw on my school uniform. I looked slightly better than I the day before; my blue eyes were no longer shadowed by a light hue of purple. A good sleep had taken its effect.

Just as I finished my morning routine, a figure came bursting into the room, startling me and causing high speed orbs of icy water to be launched at the trespasser. _Wait._ I glanced at the clock beside the bed, the flashing digits telling me I was running exceedingly late. I had just attacked a teacher.

"Sorry for startling you, Kai." A familiar voice spoke hurriedly, making me curious. Narumi was usually an extremely laid-back character. To see him speak with such uncharacteristic urgency was a rare case.

"Just get straight to the point."

"Well…have you seen either Natsume or Ruka?"

"Are they missing?" I probed, hoping to find out some information as well.

"I thought you might have some knowledge on what happened."

"Unfortunately, I don't. Natsume was already gone by the time I woke up." It would be better to cut to the chase rather than to play mind games with the pheromone Alice user.

"Damn." To hear the blonde teacher curse was rarer still. "I'm going to have to leave now. Just head to class while I try to find those two troublemakers." With that, he was out the door. I sighed then left the room, being sure to lock it. _Did he try to escape?_

"Hah…so hectic."

The classroom was in its usual state of disarray with our homeroom teacher, Narumi, out of the room. I heard a whizzing sound and instinctively ducked, a hard object narrowly missing my head and smashing into the blackboard with a loud clank. I eyed the hole in the blackboard apprehensively. _Had that been my head…_ I tried to clear the foreboding thoughts. These students had no concept of safety at all.

Moving out of the danger zone, I headed to my desk where no stray objects hurtled about. The only downside was that Perm-Head and her clique stood close by. When the president of the Natsume and Ruka fan club saw me head over, she glared. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Getting to my seat."

"Don't think you're all that just because you're Natsume's partner!"

"You think being with him is a good thing?"

"You don't understand the privilege of being his partner. He's the—"

I could tell she was going to bore me. "I'm not going to stick around to hear you boast about him." My lack of interest was blatantly obvious from my tone.

Sumire huffed. "Fine. Have it your way."

"Oh? Here I thought you'd never shut up. I'm glad I was proven wrong." I taunted,

"You—" Perm-Head was tempted to say something but thought better of it at the last second. "Hey you, where are you going?" She called out after me when she saw me starting to leave. Narumi wouldn't be back any time soon, so I had decided to get some Alice practice in.

"Heh. Starting to care about me?" I teased.

"No! Ugh…" She was rendered speechless.

"Okay, thanks." Taking advantage of her loss of words, I left the room.

The exhilarating sensation of raw power coursed throughout my body as I levitated all the water in the pool. Thankfully, no one was around at this time, allowing me to practice without the fear of being caught or harming a passerby.

As soon as I was satisfied with the height at which it was raised, I attempted to freeze it.

_Snap._

Over half of the total amount of water immediately became solid, however, the remainder stayed in its liquid state—much to my dismay. I guess I lacked the practice. There was no use fretting over it, though; I still had plenty of time to train. I released the control I exercised over the water and ice, letting it fall back into the pool, not forgetting to first melt the ice first to ensure the pool wasn't left with a huge dent.

Sitting down, I dipped my hand into the water and started to twirl it around, entertaining myself with the whirls and ripples the water made. _It's so cold… _The temperature of the water was almost numbing. I resisted the urge to jerk my hand out of the water, needing to build resistance toward the cold just in case I needed to fight with an ice dagger or the like. Come to think of it, I needed to improve my precision when freezing water to form detailed objects.

The hissing sound of steam made me look around for the source. The water in the pool was evaporating; I had absentmindedly brought the water to a boil as when I was too absorbed in my thoughts. I recalled that I had, only minutes ago, thought the water was too cold. My Alice must've picked up on that and made some adjustments by itself. It was good that that I could subconsciously use my Alice, but at times like this, it was just problematic.

After I cooled down the water, I noted that the swimming pool was now only filled to half. Begrudgingly, I set off to fetch the hose, even though I could have just filled it using my Alice. Slacking off in situations like this by taking the easy way out would probably have adverse effects in the future. It always did.

By the time I had finished returning the area to its original state, it was already time for the next lesson to start. I considered just skipping the day's classes, but decided against it in the end. Besides, it wouldn't hurt just to check on the class' state of affairs, with the teacher gone and all.

A large winged figure against the blue of the sky caught my attention. Smirking slightly, I prepared to set off to class.

_I can almost bet Natsume has been caught already._

Oh, I'd find out once I got back.

The mousy teacher—which I hadn't bothered to learn the name of-was once again put in charge of the class, although really, 'in charge' was the direct opposite of what was happening; he had the class under everything but control. More like he was at the mercy of the class. I almost felt sympathy for the teacher. Narumi had a tendency to abandon him when something took precedence over teaching the class—in this case, Natsume's (and Ruka's?) supposed escape.

Temporary order to the chaos was restored to the class when Natsume strode into the room with Ruka at his side. When they got to their seats, my partner swung his legs onto the desk, taking a good area of my working space in the process, with a sour look on his face.

"I'm guessing I didn't go well, huh? You can sulk all you want, but get your feet of my side of the table." When he didn't shift his feet over, I decided to take a more underhanded approach. "Ruka even had to come and save you. You're really useless, aren't you?"

As calculated, Natsume took the bait.

"I'll burn you." Crimson eyes flared as he abruptly stood up, flame in hand.

"Water beats fire," I mocked, preparing my own water orb.

But then again, our Alices hardly stuck to the concept of logic_. _Hell, even the respective elements we produced didn't stick to the norm. _Normal _water didn't put out his flames, and my water doused oil fires. Although we could choose to use normal elements, we simply preferred not to.

"How did you know I came to get Natsume?" The question Ruka posed halted the impending conflict.

"I wonder." My cryptic answer seemed to throw him, evident from the confusion on his face.

"What?"

"Ruka, don't bother. You won't get any answers from him." With a word of friendly advice to his friend, Natsume kicked his feet back onto the table, making sure to keep them of my side this time, so I decided not to hassle him. With a manga magazine placed over his face, I assumed he was resting.

Ruka, being slightly mellower than his raven haired counterpart, interacted with his rabbit. With their completely different personalities, I wondered how they got so close. It was a mystery, one that I'd probably ask Ruka about later. Or not. I didn't want to dig too deeply.

"Hi, I'm Sakura Mikan! Nice to meet you…" I was impervious to the clamor emitted by class until a girl at the front of the room started introducing herself. _Looks like we have a new addition to the class._

"W-w-well, take one of the seats in the back…" The teacher stuttered directions at the new student, which she complied with. She started to walk down the aisle to find a seat, taking the classes judgmental stares (glares) along with her.

Walking past our table she stopped and gave us a greeting; "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, it's you. That polka dot panties girl." My eye twitched in disbelief. Did he rob her of her underwear?

Scrutinizing her moves, a thought started to form. _Now, only if she decides NOT to mess with Natsume, she'll be fine._

I spoke too soon. "YOU PERVERTED MOLESTER!" Mikan screamed at the languid figure on the bench.

"What are you talking about? A molester is someone with a sleazy ulterior motive." His face contemptuous, he continued. "As if I'd have a sleazy ulterior motive on _you." _With such scorn, his comeback was gold.

Stifling a chuckle, I extended my arm, proffering a small lump of ice. "Need some ice for that burn?"

She just stood there, bewildered and looking completely nonplussed. With a small laugh, Ruka reached over his friend and snatched the piece of ice out of my outstretched hand and started to hydrate the rabbit in his arms.

I narrowed my eyes, feeling playful. _Oh, payback would feel so good. _

Not wanting to startle the small animal, I waited until he was done to take my revenge. Ignoring 'Polka-dot panty's' outraged cries at my partner, I materialized water just above the opening of the back of Ruka's open collar. Silently, I froze it.

"You're a woman's enemy! A barbarian!" _ Okay, she was getting annoying now. _Judging from Natsume's expression, he was, too. I debated on where to shut her up or not, but chose not to. She'd probably get enough hostility from Natsume's numerous admirers, not to mention abundant amounts of cruel practical jokes.

Seeing that the rabbit moved to the special star, and was now comfortably nestled in Natsume's lap—probably because of his unusually warm body temperature—I let the chunk of the ice free from my control, allowing it to drop cleanly _into _Ruka's shirt, eliciting a yelp from him. "Kai!"

"Haha!" A small laugh managed to escape my lips when I saw his shocked facial expression.

The blonde squirmed around, desperate to get the coldness out of his shirt. Natsume, who was beside him, made no attempt to help at all. Leaving Ruka struggling, I turned my attention back to the girl in pigtails.

"Apologize, you morons!" Mikan's order was the last straw for Natsume's admirers; they couldn't stand hearing her badmouthing their precious 'idol' anymore. She was elevated high into the air by one student, while the rest of them encircled her.

"Himukai, let her down!" Our class rep yelled at them to stop from across the room while Hotaru Imai sat at her desk, glancing up distractedly every so often to check on the situation. Despite her seeming indifference toward her friend, one could tell that she really cared.

"Why should we? She's been nothing but trash talking Natsume and Ruka ever since she came in." Sumire cut in, head held haughtily high and a contemptuous sneer playing on her lips. "This is almost too kind, isn't that right Natsume?"

"Let her down." His tone was commanding, and Himukai immediately followed his bidding. The airbone girl was lowered down, falling to her knees in shock once her feet touched the sturdy ground.

"I think Natsume's generosity adds to his charm!" Even though my partner ordered for Mikan to be let down to deliberately mess with Perm-Head, she was even more smitten with him, not realising the main reason he had let down the twin tailed girl. _Amazing how admiration glosses over an individual's more negative traits._

"Yo, Polka-dot , what kind Alice do you have?" The whole class fell silent at his question, which in truth, was more like a demand.

"Why should I tell you?" Mikan stuck her tongue out at the class' idol, only to be lifted back up into the air for her blatant show of disrespect to Natsume.

"Come to think of it," The class mind reader started, no doubt reading the girl's mind, "I wonder what my Alice is. The teacher told me I was an Alice, but I haven't seen any signs of being one. Am I…am I really an Alice?" He finished, answering Natsume's question, much to astonishment of the new student.

"That's unbelievable! She doesn't know what her Alice is?" Does she even have—" Sumire was cut off by Mikan's protests.

"I-I have one! Even though I don't know what it is, Narumi-sensei said that I have one, so I have one!"

"Then prove it to us."

"Polka-dots, I hear that if you can't get along with the people in the class within a week, you can't enroll."

"How do you know that?"

"I guess at this rate you won't be enrolling."

At this point, she was visibly close to tears.

"Although I could give you a chance. If you truly are what you say you are." His words bring hope back into her paling face. "You see those woods over there? Those are called the 'Northern Woods'." He nods toward the window which gave the view of an expansive forest. "If you can get through those woods to the high school division, and leave a footprint, I'll accept you as an Alice and accept your presence as a member of this class."

"Northern woods?"

"That's impossible!"

"It's even off-limits to Alice students!"

Various voice of other students joined Natsume's own. "I didn't say she had to. She can just leave if she doesn't want to." His voice was calm in response, his crimson eyes closed in tranquility which only he could have possessed in situations like this.

Sakura Mikan's mouth was agape as she took the conditions of his ultimatum in. Hear head snapped back to attention as he continued. Startling crimson eyes were opened again. "Are you game?" She nodded in response.

"Yes," was her determined response.

Satisfied by her answer, he proceeded to talk. "Since you're new here, I'll let you take a friend along."

She turned to her so called 'best friend'.

"I see… You're going into those woods, huh? Well, take these." The black haired girl placed friend some items into the other girl's arms. "I hope that nothing happens…" Having accomplished what she need to do, Hotaru darted away from Mikan and fled the room, unwilling to accompany her friend into the woods.

"Hotaruuu! Wait!" The pig-tailed girl gave chase.

"I'll go too!" The class president spoke up, feeling obligated to join her, seeing it as his duty to not let a girl go into such a dangerous place alone.

When the trio had left the room, I quickly left my desk, intending to follow them. I just managed to get out of my seat when Natsume, who was seated next to me, grabbed my wrist, preventing me from moving any further. "Don't you dare help them."

"Sheesh, I don't plan to. I only want to find out something."

"What?" His eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

"Nothing concerning you," I shot back.

"It has everything to do with me."

"Natsume, just let him. I don't think he's going to help her." Ruka voiced his side of the dispute.

"Tch. Fine." He let go of my wrist.

"Thanks, Ruka." I ran out of the room, although not before hearing a bit of Ruka and Natsume's conversation.

"Do you know something about that Polka-dots girl?" The blonde questioned his friend.

"No…" Was Natsume's dubious answer. It was something I had to confirm for myself.

I found the three standing before the entrance of the forest. "Mikan." I called to get her attention, and when she turned to me, I issued a warning. "I'm going to attack you."

"W-w-what?"

I launched a slow-moving ball of cold water at the girl, who was frozen in a mixture of shock and confusion. Just as I thought it was about to hit her, she raised her arms in defense, emitting a harsh light, forcing me to look away. When I turned back, she stood in the same condition, not a single drop of water on her body or on the floor. She had completely nullified my attack.

"If you were going to attach her why warn her? Your water attack was moving extremely slowly as well." Hotaru stated her observation.

"It wasn't my objective to hurt her. I just needed to find out some information. Now that I've got it, I'll leave. Good luck, Mikan." I backtracked to the class room at a jogging pace.

"What did you do?" It was the first thing Ruka asked when I arrived back.

"Find out her Alice."

"So what did you find out?" By the looks of it, his raven haired friend was interested as well.

"I wonder." I grinned. I didn't like to give out my information so easily.

_Nullification Alice, huh? How interesting._

* * *

**_A.N_** Reviews make my day, so don't hesitate to leave one.


	5. Chapter 5

"Yo, where's Ruka?" Natsume idly looked up from his manga, enquiring the whereabouts of his blue-eyed friend.

"The last thing I saw was Sumire chasing him around, trying to get him to play pretend supermodels with her or something."

"I have no idea. I wonder where he is…"

"If we're talking about Nogi-kun, I just saw him hurrying toward to direction of the North Woods." Another one of Natsume's admirers points out.

"Show me the situation there."

"Right!" On of the lackeys ran off, coming back minutes later.

"Ruka has been captured by those three," he panted, out of breath. "He's been tied up and that Mikan girl hit him."

Crimson eyes flared in anger.

"Natsume's eyes were _flaming."_

"To take Ruka hostage of all people…"

"They must be idiots…"

Hushed whispers where traded through the class.

"Whoa, Natsume, where are you going? Kai! Why are you going as well?" The braver people called out after us when they saw him swiftly moving toward the window giving the view of the North Woods.

Ignoring their endless questions, Natsume jumped out the window, and I followed suit.

"Why are you also coming along?"

"To make sure you don't end up killing someone."

"I won't…probably."

I wasn't convinced in the slightest. "You have no idea how bloodthirsty you look right now."

"Whatever." We spent the rest of the run in silence.

With Natsume pushing apart the branches of a tree, we arrived the clearing where Mikan and her friends stood.

"Natsume, what are you doing here?" Ruka ran to join the side of his best friend, and I shivered, not missing the murderous glint in his eyes.

"Ruka, we're going back.

"But…" Ruka raised a word of protest, but was quelled by the look on his friend's face.

"The game is over. This girl has failed. Hurry up and get out of this school." Grabbing Mikan's hair, Natsume roughly shoved the girl into a tree. "You ignored my rules, and on top of that, you used Ruka. You better know what you are asking for."

"Natsume, stop. I'm totally fine. You don't have to do this!" Ruka called out in worry, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I'll use whatever means necessary to find out her Alice." As if to prove his point, a flame appeared in Natsume's outstretched palm, flickering and dancing, casting shadows onto the ground. His eyes bored into hers. "So I suggest you spit it out what your Alice is already."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Hotaru shift slightly, searching her pocket and withdrawing a small object. Too late to stop her, I watched she drew her hand back, throwing a smoke bomb.

_Damn._

It exploded, blanketing both Natsume and Mikan in thick plumes of smoke. Coughing, he released the struggling girl, who tried to make a beeline for our class representative. She only managed to make it so far when Natsume set the grass around the class rep's feet alight, trapping him in a ring of fire.

"Hurry up or he'll die."

With a crackle, a fire started around Hotaru's feet as well.

"Stop the fire! The other people have nothing to do with this!" Mikan's eyes were bright with tears as she implored him to stop. Ruka glanced between the two, his anxiety evident across his features.

Feeling a tug on my sleeve, I turned. "What's the matter, Ruka?"

"Can you stop Natsume?"

"Yes."

"Will you?"

"No." Feeling slightly guilty at his worry, I offered a smile, "It's okay, it'll end soon."

The flames encasing the two grew in intensity and were almost close to engulfing them.

"I said stop the fire, you idiot!" Unable to watch any longer, Mikan ran forward and grabbed Natsume's collar, ready to deck him in the face.

"You—!" His eyes widened, and the flame in his hand grew exponentially.

Knowing what was coming, I closed my eyes just before a blinding flash of light was given off. When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was Mikan topple harmlessly to the floor, having successfully nullified my partner's attack.

Seizing the chance, with Natsume in shock, Narumi rushed forward and kissed his forehead, effectively knocking in out.

"Well done Mikan. You have a wonderful Alice. You managed to…" I tuned Narumi's voice out, not bothered to listen to his long winded explanation of Mikan's Alice. Instead, I walked over to Natsume, who was being tended to by his best friend.

"Natsume, you're awake?" It's Ruka's voice. By the looks of it, the raven haired student had just woken up.

"Oh no." I discerned that it was Narumi who spoke this time.

"Mikan, get out of the way!" She was pushed out of harm's way by Hotaru, just as Natsume released a large blast of fire. After the debris settled, I observed that everything within a 5 metre radius was set alight.

"Naru…I'm…going to kill you." Natsume made out through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I thought so. I knew you'd be really mad."

The sound of a siren pierced through the air.

Looking around, Narumi spoke. "The siren has gone off. Shouldn't you be running away now? Otherwise that guy you can't stand will be eagerly on your tail. I can't protect you this time; you've caused quite the disturbance."

Supported by Ruka, both of them fled.

"Oh? Kai, aren't you going with them?"

I grinned. "I'm really not that loyal of a dog."

Narumi only laughed in response. "We've got another black cat on our hands, I see. Although I have to say this one is far more agreeable than the last."

.

.

.

"So once again, welcome Sakura Mikan to the class!"

"_No way_, she made it?"

"I heard she fought with Natsume-san."

"She passed that test?"

The whole class was amazed at her success, and soon she was crowded by her classmates and bombarded with a flurry of questions.

"Was it scary?"

"Hey, hey, what kind of Alice do you have?"

I redirected my attention to Sumire and her gang.

"I can't believe they're all over her. Besides, who was it that started saying that she had a fake Alice in the first place?"

Classical Perm-head denial.

"That was you." Mind Reader dealt the blow with his bluntness.

"Geh!"

"Okay, okay, settle down and return to your seats." Narumi, as the homeroom teacher, clapped his hand to regain control of his class. He was the only teacher out of the two in the front that people listened to, as no one wanted to be a victim of his Alice. "It looks like Natsume isn't here."

As if to answer him, the door creaked open, and in stepped a masked figure, whose each footstep was careful.

"Natsume!" It was Ruka's voice, thick with concern.

I scanned Natsume's body, detecting fresh gashes, cuts and lacerations on his exposed skin. Sliding into his seat next to me, Ruka looked over.

"Natsume…"

"Don't worry, Ruka…" Was his weak response, which only further unsettled the both of us.

"Okay, okay!" Narumi broke the palpable tension, "So as you all know, we have a new addition to the class, and someone will have to be her partner. Now, I'm sure nobody will volunteer since this is a tremendously cumbersome job, so I took the liberty of deciding it, and I'll announce it. Mikan's partner will be…Natsume Hyuuga!"

"WHAT?!" A cacophony of surprised yells and should erupted from the glass at his declaration.

"You don't usually make someone of Natsume's status do that right?"

"No way!"

"Could that girl actually be a special person?"

"But isn't he already with Kisumi-san?"

"Kai, you don't mind, do you? You never really needed a partner in the first place; it was more of a formality with you. So what do you say?" Narumi asked.

"I don't mind." I replied indifferently.

"It's all settled then. Now I have some errands to run, so if you'll excuse me." With a spring in his step, the blonde teacher left the classroom, the door closing in the face of the assistant teacher, leaving him to deal with the chaos of the class.

"I shall start the class."

My jaw cracked as I yawned; I automatically felt sleepy when the time for Jinno's class rolled around. Seemingly having decided on his next target, I was left alone.

"New student, are you unsatisfied with my lesson? If you have something to say, do so out loud If you keep disrupting my lesson, I will have to punish you. " He glared at Sakura Mikan, clearly disgruntled by her lack of attention.

"Uh, no…" was her nervous response.

Raising a disbelieving eyebrow, the math teacher turned back to the board to continue teaching. Sumire and her cliché were snickering at the back, no doubt ready to cause trouble for Mikan.

"This class is so boring!"

I swiveled my head around to look at Mikan, only to see a mechanical bird above her head shrieking out phrases, and disrupting the class.

A vein popped in his forehead, signaling his anger. "New student—" He was cut off by a trash can hurtling towards his head, having been repelled by Mikan, who was the original target.

It landed cleanly, upside-down, all the trash emptying on his head. As he pulled the bin off, I bit the side of my hand to suppress laughter at sight of a frog nesting in his hair surrounded by garbage.

"Class disruption, usage of lice during lessons. You've violated all these rules. What an attitude you have…"

Mikan shook in terror, all the color drained from her face, and Sumire was in stitches.

"I gather that your 'Star Level' is not yet determined, so I will decide right here, the level appropriate for a troublemaker like you." Brushing himself off, he dealt the finishing blow, "As of today, you, Sakura Mikan, is a No Star!"

I thought that was too harsh, to be honest; it wasn't really all Mikan's fault. Although i guess you just don't mess with Perm-Head if you're unable to defend yourself.

The chime of the bell indicated the end of class, just as Jinno stated his verdict, and most of the students scrambled out of their seats.

"Jin-Jin can't be serious."

"That new girl's unbelievable."

"It's impossible to find a No-Star even in the Kindergarten division!"

"Ahahaha!" Sumire brought her hands up to her mouth and released a high pitched shriek of laughter. "I guess you really are something. A No-Star at your age…"

Ruka, Natsume and I were still at our seats, and I traded shrugs with the blonde. Natsume, as irritable as ever, probably due to his mask, sat there in complete silence, ignoring the state of affairs.

A pissed Natsume? _It's going to be a long day._


	6. Chapter 6

"What Alice type is everyone?" Mikan ran to and fro between desks, bursting with energy, trying to find out the class's Alices after hearing an explanation of Alice classifications from our frivolous, blonde homeroom teacher.

"So Kai, do you know what Alice class you're in?" Narumi's grinning visage popped into view, inches above mine, and I resisted the urge to hurtle an ice shard into his face to wipe the smile off it.

"Normally predisposition, but I'll probably be moved to some other class due to 'circumstances', right?"

"Bingo! If an ordinary student had an Alice like yours, they'd be in predisposition. However, you and your Alice have been deemed dangerous, so you'll be moved to Dangerous class." He held up two ringed fingers and continued. "But we have decided to give you two months to settle in, and therefore—"

"I'll be moved to Special Class for the time being," I finished for him.

"Correct." He beamed at me, like I was a child who just correctly answered a question, and I felt irritation bubble up in my stomach.

"Kaaaaiiiiiiii," Before I could open my mouth to give a scathing response to Narumi, an annoying, whiny voice came from my left, and I turned to face the owner of it.

_Politeness, politeness, _I repeated the word like a mantra before talking to her. She hadn't done anything wrong (yet), so she didn't deserve to have me speaking so rudely to her. _Plus, _my mind decided to add unnecessarily, _talking impolitely all the time—hasn't Natsume's attitude rubbed off onto you? _"Mikan, is there something you need from me?"

"You're so much easier to talk to than Natsume."

My side of my mouth twitched in annoyance. "So is there something you needed from me?" I repeated, hoping she'd get my point.

"Oh yeah! I'm so glad you're in my class! I was worried that that there'd be no one I know in Special Class, and…" she rambled on and on.

"Wish I wasn't with your annoying self," I muttered, throwing the concept of politeness out the window. She didn't appear to hear me.

"Did you say something?"

"No, you must've been hearing things. Anyway, I'm glad we're together. I'm sure there won't be a boring moment around you."

"Say, want to walk to Special Class together?" she asked, and I considered it.

"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt."

"Yay! Friend made!"

…_what was this crazy girl saying?_

"Don't you think Natsume's very puzzling? He's so rude, but once he wears the cat mask, he barely speaks! Kai, weren't you his partner before I came? What's he like to you?" Mikan chatted idly when we walked, often asking question here and there.

"You've seen what he's like. I assure you that he doesn't treat me any different from you. Oh, speak of the devil." I spotted Natsume's surprised face from behind a wall. His profuse sweating struck me as odd; he usually hated pointlessly exerting himself. Apparently the same couldn't be said for the pig–tailed girl, who looked like she was ready to scream, but before she could make any sound, the raven haired boy grabbed her and muffled her mouth.

"Say one word and I'll kill you. Move and I'll kill you." His whispered threat did its intended job; Mikan was now silent and has ceased struggling. He turned his crimson eyes toward me next. I nodded, signaling that I understood this situation was dire.

"Natsume. I suggest you answer me if you're here. Na-tsu-me. Natsume." The masked figure made my blood run cold. He was dangerous. _Run. Run away. Never touch him. _My mind screamed orders which my body betrayed. I looked over at Natsume, only to my fear mirrored on his face.

_Thump._

_Thump._

I was afraid the sound of my heart pulsating would give away our location to the mysterious man, but it was a pointless fear as only seconds later, the man left, disappearing from my sight.

I breathed in relief, and slumped against the wall. I hadn't noticed the fact that I'd been holding my breath. From next to me, I heard my roommate do the same. I guess he'd been as scared as I was, and that comforted me. I wasn't the only one who was petrified. Maybe I'd ask him about the man tonight in the safety of our room.

"HEY! What are you doing, choking people like that! What, are you ignoring me? Stop pretending to be cool!" Mikan yelled at Natsume after he had let her go, and he only ignored her in response.

This girl really couldn't read the atmosphere to save her life.

"Eh! Isn't that Natsume cutting classes with a woman?"

"And isn't that the famous "No-Star? What a dope!"

A group of passing junior high schoolers had just stupidly decided to play with fire, and now they were going to get burnt.

"What? You ignoring us? Wait a sec, murder." Even though the junior's words were obviously directed at Natsume, I balled my hands into fists, the word 'murder' reopening old wounds. Natsume must have noticed, as he lightly placed his hand on top of my head and let it linger there for only a fraction of a second before moving forward.

_Oh…Natsume's actually a good person…_

"Let me make this clear, 'Dangerous' types aren't cool with us. Everyone says you're a genius so you get cocky…but you're only special because that mask fits you so well!"

_Crackle._

Flames licked and danced playfully around the Junior highschoolers, ready to do harm at their master's bidding.

"That jerk…he wants to burn us!"

"Somebody…somebody call for the mask!"

The ones who had taunted Natsume were now panicking as the flames swirled around them, coming uncomfortably close.

Natsume's eyes held a dangerous glint. "Do whatever, since before he gets here, you'll all be burnt to a crisp.

"You don't care what happens to her?" One of the older students grabbed Mikan by the pigtail and yanked, causing her to stumble. "You want to ditch your woman?"

"Heh." Natsume gave a barely audible laugh and walked away, like he couldn't care less (and he probably didn't).

Wanting to relieve some stress, I allowed one of the members of the junior division to grab me. Slowly, I created an ice spear and motioned it forward, making sure to give him enough time to dodge. As expected, he jumped to the side and called for his friends.

"Woah! This one's actually dangerous! Let's leave one person on the No-Star and we'll rough him up."

I concealed a grin with the back of my hand. _Rough me up? Good luck with that_. They wouldn't even manage to touch me, let alone beat me up. Creating more ice thorns, one for each assailant, I sent them flying. I followed the attack up with spinning discs of freezing water, leaving oozing gashes where they hit skin.

_Whump._

A soft sound came from behind me, and I spun around, creating an ice spear as I moved. _Was it an enemy?_

"Whoa, whoa." He held both his hands up in the air, and I relaxed. I inspected his appearance. He wore a hat over his messy dark blue hair. The most distinct thing on his face was a star sharped marking under his left eye. Even though he was a junior highschooler, he meant no harm.

"Is there something you need?"

He grinned in response, and ruffled my hair, messing it up. "Don't play with them too much." Leaving me with a word of advice, he walked over to help Mikan, was struggling.

I turned back to my aggressors. "Let's end this, shall we?" Creating chains of water, I directed them to wrap around the people who were charging at me. After they were set in place, I froze the water chains, restricting their movement.

"Damn!"

"I can't get out!"

"What is this? Ice?"

Ignoring their voices, I froze large chunks of ice and let them drop onto the heads of the bound attackers, knocking them out. "Small fries were all bark and no bite." I scoffed, my voice derisive.

From my position, I could see the black haired teen mess with Mikan's harasser. I scrutinized his fighting style. At least one foot was always on the other's shadow, and the teen could control his opponents movements. My theory was that as long as he stepped in another person's shadow, he could control them.

After he had had his fun, he scribbled something on the floor, and Mikan's attacker began dancing. Curious, I walked over to join them. '1 hour of dancing' were words that were scrawled onto the ground. I suppose the poor guy was subjected to dancing for an hour.

"Little devils, what are you still doing out here? You should be in your Alice based class. Which one? I'll take you."

"Um…I'm in 'Special type!" Mikan answered, her usual cheer returning..

"Oh, now that I look closely, it's the two famous elementary students. The 'No-Star' Sakura Mikan, and the grumpy Black Cat's roommate."

"Since you know us so well, care to give us your name, Shadow?"

"It's Ando Tsubasa. I'm in 'Special', Junior Division; Team A. Shadow Alice is my ability. Nice to meet ya!"

Mikan had a stupid look on her face, probably delighted at the prospect of her first ever 'Senpai'.

"Well then, Shadow, take us there, will you?"

"We're here." Tsubasa stopped right in front of a heavy oak door, fiddling with the handle. It made clicking sounds, but refused to open.

"Is it locked?" I asked him.

"Nah, the door's always like this."

As if to prove his point, the door finally opened. Seeing a white object hurtle towards us from inside the room, I jumped to the side. Tsubasa wasn't so lucky; he copped the full force of the paint can, and was knocked onto his feet.

"You're late, Tsubasa!" An exasperated pink haired teen stood in the doorway, pushing the doors apart. "How many times must I say this? There are two new kids today! I told everyone to come here early to prepare…"

Her tirade trailed off when she spotted Mikan and me by Tsubasa's side.

"Huh?" She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, it didn't accur to me that everyone was here already. Let's start over then." Tsubasa and the other teen beckoned us in.

"Welcome to Special!"

A chorus of cheers greeted us from inside of the room. From beside me, I saw Mikan's eyes sparkle in delight.

"Special class doesn't have many members, that's why all of us are close. We're branded weird by the others, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The title 'Weirdo' means that you can do or say whatever you want. 'Freedom' is the Special class' motto."

Glasses clinked, and the room was filled mirth.

"Trash and No-star don't mean anything. Weirdos are weirdos, but we still can be happy. There's no need to keep up a façade for rankings. We basically exist to break all the rules." The chief trouble makers clinked their glasses together. "The teachers here are really stupid."

"Just be yourself and live life to the fullest!"

Mikan had found a place to belong, and I found myself wishing that I could be a part of this class for the rest of my time here.


	7. Chapter 7

"The No Star only got 500 yen!"

"Kai! How much did you get?" The No-Star's wide eyes came into view.

"Nothing," was my answer to Mikan's question.

"Eeeeh?"

"My Star rank hasn't been decided yet, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

We sat at our desks, our allowance having just been handed out.

"Yosh! Since we've got our allowances, and it's Saturday, want to go to Central Town?"

If Sakura Mikan had dog ears, they would have perked right up. "What? What? What's Central Town?" She jumped about, her earlier dejection gone.

"Central Town is like a shopping street inside the school's perimeter," Hotaru explain33ed.

"Well, seeing is believing, so why don't you go?" Another one of her friends interjected.

"So, Hotaru, is there anywhere special you go to get a higher price for your products?"

"Selling something?" Hotaru Imai finished the food she was eating and tossed the can into the bin.

"Yeah, I've been thing about making some money on the side," I replied.

"You've never been to Central Town?" Her tone was one of mild surprise, but the emotion didn't show up on her face.

"No, this is the first time I've even heard of the place."

"So what are you going to sell? I can direct you to a few good stores."

"Water with special properties, maybe?"

"That's no problem. Then want to meet up at Central Town?"

"Sure."

"Whaaaaat? Hotaru and Kai are already friends? That's not fair! Include me," Mikan whined, having overheard our conversation.

"We're not," Hotaru and I both replied in unison.

"I guess it's time for me to go. Mikan will probably need to get permission from the teacher, so see you guys later." I hopped off the desk and scanned the room for Ruka and Natsume.

I spotted the inseparable duo at the corner of the room, by themselves. Strangely, there was a young child in Natsume's arms.

I decided to speak. "Natsume, what's with the kid?" I glance at the kid, then at Natsume, the back down. "You two look pretty similar… although, unlike you, he's actually cute."

"Shut up."

I flashed an innocent grin. "What? Did you want me to call you cute, as well?" I hear him scoff in response. "But seriously, who is he?"

"Hijiri Youichi, 3 years old. He's from class A, but is attached to Natsume so sometimes comes to class B to play." Like a dog catching scent of food, Permy rushed over. "I think Natsume playing with children is wonderful!" She proceeded to gush.

"Geez, Perm-head, do you have a Natsume-and-Ruka radar or something? I swear you can always detect—" I start off, only to be interrupted.

"Please come with us to Central Town!" Mikan and the class president were kneeling before Natsume's feet. Hotaru was behind the two, watching.

"What's going on?"

Is that the No-Star asking Natsume on a date?"

Their antics drew the attention of the class, with most people observing curiously from a distance.

Finally Mikan looked and took notice of the child in her partner's arms. "Cuuuute! Is that kid yours?"

"I'll burn you." Her question had obviously irritated him, triggering his icy—more like heated—response. Mikan just had that effect on people.

She moved her face closer to Youichi's and Permy did the same. "I thought so! They look like each other!"

"Idiot." What came out of the child's moth shocked the two girls. I saw Natsume whisper something into Youichi's ear just before the child uttered another word. "Ugly." Once again, Natsume's lips were near the child's ear. "Go ahway mwonkys."

"…they actually make a good pair," Hotaru remarked, and Ruka and I had to nod in agreement.

"Yo-chan shouldn't be with such a nasty person." Mikan extended her hands towards Youichi. "Here, come with big sis instead.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you that his Alice is 'Control of Evil Spirits', so…" Just as Ruka spoke, Mikan started getting assaulted by apparitions of numerous shapes and sizes. "…too late."

"Ahaha!" Hotaru just laughed at the sight of her friend being attacked.

I managed to catch a small smile playing on Natsume's lips for a split second, just before it disappeared, when he was patting Youichi's head in congratulations for scaring the two girls off.

Youichi pointed at the Central Town sign that Mikan was caring earlier and looked imploringly at Natsume, and Natsume nodded in a silent acquiescence.

.

.

.

Unfamiliar sights and sounds were all around me as I took in the sight. It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. Many colorful iinventions, both practical and impractical were sold on stalls on the street. Mikan's mouth hung open as she took everything in; I hoped that I didn't look like that.

"We'll split up here. Kai and I have thing to sell." Hotaru grabbed me by the cuff of my sleeve, dragging me away from the party and into a store.

"Oh, if it isn't Hotaru! You've brought a friend along! What do you want to sell today?" A smiling woman greeted us from the counter. From the looks of things, I guessed that Hotaru was a frequent seller here.

"It's not me who's here to sell today. It's him." She pointed at me, gesturing me to move forward.

"What are you here to sell?" The owner asked me, a cordial smile on her face.

I unpacked the backpack I brought with me, setting multiple jars of liquid onto the counter. She picked up one and tuned it in her hands, stopping to read the label. "Oh. I'm sure this will sell very well…if it works, that is." Her warm visage dropped from her face completely, revealing the face of an adept businesswoman underneath.

"It works." I take out one last jar, much smaller than the rest, from my bag and placed it into her hand. "I brought this as a tester."

"Wonderful." She unscrews the cap and wafted the smell, sniffing delicately. "This smell…it's lavender, isn't it?"

I nodded in confirmation, and she continues. "It's got a beautiful scent, but time to see it really works. She produced a pack of cotton swabs from her pocket, and dips them into the swirling, purple tinged liquid. It comes onto the cotton clear, and she hums happily. I assume it's to her liking. Turning to a mirror on the counter, she dabbed away at her face. Seconds pass, and she seemed unsatisfied. Slowly, her frown turned back into a grin. "Yes, it works. I trust that the rest of them aren't frauds?"

"Wouldn't dream of selling you shams," I replied.

"Heh…I see. Come back soon. I want to purchase some of these myself."

"Will do."

Minutes later, I walk out of the store, considerable richer than when I walked in. Hotaru had informed me that she had other things to sell, so she would be joining us later.

I guess it was time to join the others and buy some things for myself.


End file.
